Out from behind the wheel to Whistler

My usual summer vacation with the wife and kids is a long driving trip, say along the California coast, inland to Utah's five national parks, or from my house in Newton to the Amish Country of Pennsylvania. The kids are no doubt fighting over something in the back; my wife is getting car sick, and I'm white-knuckling on Interstate 95, weaving between way too many trucks. The vacation part kicks in only after we arrive at our destination.

But in British Columbia, the modes of travel are not relegated to the "How to get there" section of the story. On the contrary, they are often the highlight of the trip. Doing research last summer before our departure, I was downright giddy to learn from my wife that we didn't need to rent a car here. We could take a three-hour train ride on the Mountaineer from Vancouver to Whistler, hop a floatplane for an hourlong flight to the port of Victoria, the provincial capital, and ferry on to Seattle.

"Sign me up," I said.

The Mountaineer leaves from Vancouver every morning in summer at 8:30. Views of the city and the forest of Stanley Park can be seen as the train hugs the waterfront, passing the exclusive homes of West Vancouver. We're sitting in the Glacier Dome seats, where the glass ceiling offers a wide open vantage point for scenery. Train staff serves a hot breakfast as we make our way into Howe Sound, a glorious body of deep blue feeding into the Pacific Ocean and backed by the Coast Mountains.

As the Mountaineer heads north away from the coast and high into old-growth forest, we stroll to the open-air compartment to watch rock climbers scurry up the cliffs outside of Squamish. The train slows near two impressive waterfalls, Shannon and Brandywine, before making its final ascent to the lofty peaks of Whistler. Some folks on board will simply head back to Vancouver on the 3 p.m. return trip, but we have plans to stay for several days.